Fire-safe for smoke-houses



W. E. JOHNS-ON. Fire-$afe for Smoke-Houses.

No. 226,861. Patented April 27,1880.

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' removed and replaced.

PATENT Fries.

WILLIAM E. JOHNSON, OF LANARK, ILLINOIS.

FIRE-SAFE FOR SMOKE-HOUSES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 226,861, dated April 27, 1880. Application filed October 8, 1879.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM E. JOHNSON, of Lanai-k, in the county of Carroll and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fire-Safes for Smoke- Houses and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification, and in which Figure 1 is a perspective view, partly broken away, of my improved fire box or safe and rat-trap combined, and Fig. 2 is a central vertical section of same.

Corresponding parts in the two figures are denoted by similar letters of reference.

This invention appertains to certain improvements in fire boxes or safes for smokehouses, the objects of which are to prevent the fuel contained therein from blazing, to allow of its ready removal from place to place in the smoke-house, to permit of its use in smoke-houses having wooden floors, and also to serve as a rat-trap; and to these ends my invention consists in the combination and arrangement of parts, substantially as herein after described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the annexed drawings, A marks the firebox proper, preferably built in a circular shape, of sheet metal, and having a bottom, a.

Hinged to the box A, at its upper edge, is a top or cover, B, having a circular base and a conical top, and provided at its apex with an orifice or vent covered by a regulating valve or hood, I), which latter can be readily This top is made to fit tightly to the box A, to prevent the escape of smoke at its joint.

b marks a lid or cover, which covers an opening made in the wall of the top B, the purpose of which will be understood hereinafter.

0 represents a swinging plate conforming in shape to the upper part of the box A, and journaled to said box in such a manner that one end of said plate will be heavier than the other, by which, when the light end is pushed down, the plate will, upon the pressure being removed therefrom, resume its horizontal position and rest upon a projection, a, secured to the box A.

To prevent the plate from swinging around upon its axis to or beyond a perpendicular, an arm, a is attached to the front part of the box A, and projects rearwardly past the axis of the plate 0, against which strikes the said plate when it is swung on its axis.

The heavy end of the plate G is arranged below the opening or vent in the top B, which is covered by the lid 1), so that rats or mice entering said opening when the cover is swung around therefrom will rest upon the said supported heavy end until they attempt to obtain the bait attached to the plate at its light end when said plate will immediately swing on its axis, and the animal will be dumped into the fire-box A, and the plate reset or resume its horizontal position.

The fuel is placed in the box A, the bottom a of which prevents draft, by which the fuel, when ignited, will smoke without blaze and with comparatively little heat.

It will be readily observed that the top B can be swung on its hinges, the plate 0 removed, and fuel placed in the box A when desired.

The advantages of my device, used as a fire-box alone, are that it can be readily placed in any desired part of the smoke-house, and it can be used in smoke-houses having wooden floors.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. The fire-box A, having the swinging plate 0, projection a, and arm a and the top B, having an opening covered by the lid I), substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The improved fire box or safe and rattrap combined, consisting of the box A, having a bottom, a, swinging plate 0, projection In testimony that I claim the foregoing I a, and arm a", and the hinged top or cover B, have hereunto set my hand this 1st day of having a vent at its apex covered by the October, 1879.

valve or hood b, and the lid 1), covering an W. E. JOHNSON. orifice madein the wall of said top, all sub- Witnesses:

stantially as shown and described, and as and l M. FURLONG, L. SPIELNoR.

for the purposes set forth. 

